Portfolio and writing-tablet



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. I-IATHAWAY, OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTFOLIO AND WRITING-TABLET.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,991, dated December 24, 1861.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. HATHAWAY, of Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Combined WVriting-Tablet and Portfolio; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing, takenin connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my said invention so full and exact as to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention consists in forming a tablet of strips of wood or any other suitable material by placing them in juxtaposition and uniting them by a sheet of any suitable flexible material secured to and extending over one face of the said strips, which are rendered immovable with respect to each other by clamps so secured to the other face'of said strips that they are left free, by moving or unfastening said clamps, to be formed into a fagot-like roll, which is convenient for transportation; and combining with the tablet, composed, as aforesaid, of flexible material, so disposed either in leaves, folds, or pockets that papers may be carried rolled up therein and ready for use upon the tablet, a metallic case, which may be partially or wholly cylindrical, may be connected to the portfolio to receive writing materials and implements, and may serve as a core on which to form a roll of the combination.

In the drawings, Figurel shows in perspective my improved combination of the tablet with a portfolio, the tablet being arranged ready for use. Fig. 2 shows the portfolio rolled up around a metallic case, and one of the clamps moved from its fastening while the other remains in the position required to give rigidity to the tablet.

Referring to the different parts by letter, (t represents the slats; b, the flexible material covering one face of them and forming the hinges on which the slats can be moved.

0 c are clamps, which are pivoted to the slats, as shown in Fig. 2, so that they can be made to assume a position parallel to the slats, or one at right angles to them, in which case the swinging ends of the clamps will move into the catches d d, which will cause the strips to form a rigid and smooth-surfaced tablet.

The portfolio shown is represented as form ed of an outer covering, 6, and an internal leaf, f, between which some paper, g, is shown. The metallic case h is represented as only partially cylindrical, being open along its length for the reception of envelopes, pens, pencils, &c. It is also shown as divided by a partition, so as better to receive and protect an inkstand. The portfolio and the facing of the strips are best made of some water-proof material, and the portfolio may be made detachable from the tablet by hooks or suitable catches.

The whole device is well adapted for use by travelers, sailors, and soldiers, and when used by the latter the surfaces of the tablet may be figured into chess-boards, (he.

The device affords good facilities for fieldsketching, and may be carried about the person or the saddle.

That I claim as my invention is The combination of a tablet made, substantially as described, with a flexible portfolio, for the purpose set forth.

GEO. O. HATHAl/VAY. lVitnesses:

GEORGE G. DYER, BENJA. HATHAWAY. 

